Luxor's Cats
Descendants of those loved by the Pharaohs
Many cats live in the village along the Nile on the west bank of Luxor where I live, unlike in Japan. Naturally, the encounter rate is also high, and if you walk on the road, you can find adorable cats around you. In Islam, there is an anecdote that Prophet Muhammad loved cats, and it seems that there are many cats, but there are also working cats who are in charge of the role of exterminating rats in livestock sheds.
In our house, I keep 3 cats indoors, and 2 cats are infested as a resident in the garden. It is not enough to get tired of it alone, I am living the life of the cat, and I touch a lot of cats in the early morning walk. This time, I will introduce 5 of them.
First of all, the resident, Rodem.He is a gluttonous, sweet-hearted frail who has been driven out by his fellow housekeeper, Amir (meaning prince in Arabic), but has resorted to it. The name is named after Rodem, one of the 3 servants of the nostalgic TV animation “Babil II”.
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And Hyokkori-san of the individual figure. It became this name from the figure peeking from the top of the fence. It is a cat kept in a livestock shed, and at first, it was timid and did not come close to me, but now it is completely attached to me. The cross-section is a charm point. A fan club with more than 220 members has been formed.
Lamb of the child cat. The strong gaze is impressive. Dreaming of becoming a Bastet goddess, I am practicing every day. It is named after the musical instrument “Systram” of the Goddess Bastet. It is a pet cat of the restaurant manager, and it seems to be loved by the customers of the restaurant.
In this noble, good fur, it is semi-wild. Her real name is Lucy, but she is a smart cat who runs to me at a glance when I call her a lady.
The last is Mr. Libby. It is a large pheasant tiger. Some say that it is calm and modest, and has a mysterious power to heal people. The name comes from the resemblance to the Libyan lynx.
The cat represents the goddess Bastet, who could also be shown in leonine form, with four kittens. The ‘Divine Felines’ exhibit was originally shown at the Brooklyn Museum.
The Libyan lynx is said to be the ancestor of the domestic cat, which is now distributed all over the world and is loved by people. And there is a theory that it was the ancient Egyptians who domesticated the Libyan lynx. According to it, it is said that around 3000 B.C., it was the opportunity of domestication that the rats that destroyed the grain storage room where the harvested wheat was stored were driven out. After that, it seems that it was worshiped as Bastet, the goddess of the figure of a cat, and it seems that it was also valued in religious aspects such as offering mummies. In Herodotus’ famous book “History,” there is an anecdote that when a cat died, the family of its owner shaved his eyebrows to express their condolences.
Cat mummies, ca. 30 BCE, via the British Museum
In addition to the purpose of dedication, there seems to be an example of the burial of a domestic cat.
Sarcophagus of the cat of Prince Thutmose (Amenhotep III’s son), ca. 1391-1353 BCE, Egyptian Museum, Cairo
The beautiful sarcophagus of a cat that was kept by Prince Thutmose, the eldest son of Amenhotep III (circa 1350 BC) is on display.
As expected, you can not see the iconography of the cat in the King’s Tomb, but in private tombs, so-called noble tombs, cats are sometimes drawn on murals. A cat jumping to catch a bird is famous in the Nile hunting scene, but in the tomb currently open to the public in Luxor, you can see the cat under the owner’s chair.
Photo by: kairoinfo4u
Tomb of Ramose (TT55), the prime minister of the era from Amenhotep III to Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV). The tomb is famous for “The Weeping Woman” and “The Figure of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti”, but under the chair of the woman attending the banquet, you can see the figure of a cat dropping a small bird.
Ashmolean Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Tomb of Nakt (TT52). He was a clerk of the Totome IV era and an astronomical priest. The woman in this tomb, the Figure of the Three Musicians, is one of the finest masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art. At the banquet scene, a cat sitting under a chair is eating fish. The coloring is beautiful and looks just like the cat you see now.
After seeing the ancient Egyptian cats drawn on the tomb, when you meet the cats of Luxor who live in the present, you will think of the background that has continued to have the charm that has not changed over the 3 thousand years, and your love will increase even more.
When you come to Luxor, don’t miss the cats here and there. Cute kids are lurking along the Nile, where cruise ships are anchored, and in the Karnak Temple.
This article was written by: Luxor Wind 𓊪𓏏𓇯𓈖𓋆𓏏𓊖 / ルクソールの空 𓊪𓏏𓇯𓈖𓋆𓏏𓊖
Cats in Ancient Egypt
For thousands of years, the Ancient Egyptians held animals in high regard, each revered for unique reasons. Dogs were prized for their protective and hunting abilities, but cats held a particularly special place in their hearts. They believed cats were magical beings that could bring good luck to those who kept them.
To honor these beloved pets, wealthy Egyptian families adorned their cats with jewels and treated them to royal delicacies. When a cherished cat passed away, it was mummified, and the grieving owners would shave off their eyebrows, mourning until they grew back. Egyptian art is filled with statues and paintings of various felines, highlighting their significance. Cats were so revered that killing one, even accidentally, was punishable by death.
In Egyptian mythology, gods and goddesses could transform into different animals, but only the goddess Bastet had the power to become a cat. The city of Per-Bast was home to a magnificent temple dedicated to her, attracting people from far and wide to marvel at its splendor. (Site Auditor)
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